Grass cutting machine



Sept. 6, 1949. B. P. STRONG 2,481,364

GRASS CUTTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 21, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l L Q J 6 5 mvmrom BY Basil RSZ'ro/zy ATTORNEYS UNITED sm as PATENT orr cgf assists GRASS CUTTING MACHINE Basil r. Strong, 4mm, om, assignor to Atwater-Strong Company, Atwater, Ohio, a cornotation of Ohio Application August 21, 1946, Serial No. 691,971

Claims. (Cl. 56-292) The invention relates generally to grass cutting or mowing machines, and more particularly to a mower having power driven cutting means.

The conventional lawn mower cuts a relatively including a wheeled frame supporting a motor,

which drives a transverse endless belt in. a vertical plane in the front of the machine, and said' belt carrying blades at intervals with their cut ting edges disposed atright angles to the plane of narrow path through the grass, and if the cutthe belt so that the lower run of the belt cuts a ting blades are lengthened to produce a wider transverse strip of grass which progressively bepath, the mower becomes increasingly diflicult to comes a longitudinal path as the machine is push in a forward direction. moved forwardly. g i In addition to the conventional lawnmower. Referring to the drawing forming part hereof, grass cutting devices have been proposed which. in which a preferred embodiment of the invention mount a rotating blade or blades in a substanis shown by way of example: tially horizontalv plane near the ground. As such Figure 1 is a plan elevational view of the imdevices are moved forwardly over the ground, the proved machine; grass cut by the blade at the front of the machine Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly in sectends to pile up on the blade or on the driving tion; a =means therefore and impede forward movement Fig. 3 isa front elevation thereof; 7 of the machine, especially if the grass is long or Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view wet and heavy. Moreover, such prior devices are of the lower run of the belt; 7 often expensive to construct and difficult to ad- Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof, partly in sec-,- Just. tion; and g It is an object of the present invention to pro- Fig. 6 is a transverse section thereof, as on line vide a novel grass cutting machine which will out 6-4, Fig. 5. v a path through long or heavy grass without caus- Similar numerals refer to similar parts ing piling of the grass in such a manner as to imthroughout the several views of the drawing. pede forward progress of the machine. In the preferred embodiment shown in the -Anotherobject is to provide a novel grass cutdrawing of the grass cutting machine comprising 1 ting machine which is light in weight and inexthe present invention, the machine is mounted on pensive tobuild. a rectangular frame indicated generally at It Another object is to provide a novel grass cuthaving side members H which may be steel ting machine which is easily adjusted over a relaangles, with a pair of handles I! connected to tively wide, range for varying the height of the their rear ends and extending angularly upward cut above the ground. therefrom. Preferably a pair of spaced cross A further object is to provide a novel grass cutbraces 14 and I3 are connected at their ends to ting machine which cuts a path of greatly inthe angles ii at the front portions thereof. and creased width as it advances. the cross braces may be channels as shown.

Another object is to provide a novel grass cut- A suitable engine or internal combustion motor ting machine which shreds or pulverizes the grass indicated generally at I! is mounted on a base I6 as it is cut so as not to require raking or removal I which is supported on the rear ends of the side of the cut grass. frame members II, as shown. Preferably a pair Finally, it is an object of the present invention 40 of wheels I! is provided for rollably supporting to provide a novel and improved grass cutting the frame I0, and the wheels may be journaled in machine which is adapted to be used as a power depending brackets ll secured to the side angles or hand propelled mower. ll of the frame in a usual manner. If desired, These and other objects are accomplished by the motor ii may be operatively connected in a the parts, elements, constructions, arrangements usual manner to the wheels I! for driving the and combinations which comprise the present insame. vention, the nature of which is set forth in the -The shaftllofthe motor .15 is preferably profollowing general statement, and a preferred emvided with a pulley 20 for the purpose of transbodiment of which is set forth in the following mitting power to a drive shaft 2|, as by means of description and illustrated in the accompanying a belt 22 connectin the pulley 20 to a pulley 2 3 drawings, and which is particularly pointed out on the rear endv ofthe drive shaft. The drive and set forth in the appended claims. shaft 2 i is preferablyv journaled in bearings 24 In general terms, the improved machine comwhich are secured-to the undersides of the cross prising the present invention may be stated as braces' il and N, and a drlve pulley 25 is fixed on the proiecting frdntend of the drive shaft 2|.

A of bars 28 are connected to the front ends of the frame angles II and depe'ndangularly downward therefrom, their lower ends being connected as by riveting or welding to the rear transverse member 21 of a rectangular frame is journaled in the rear and front members 21' and 8| respectively of the transverse frame, and

the rear end of the shaft 88 has thereon a driven pulley 82 which is operatively connected to the drive pulley 25, preferably by means of a belt 88.

The other pulley 29a at the opposite end of the cutting belt 28 is journaled in a movable bearing support 84 which is yieldingly urged transversely outward to impose tension on the cutting belt. Preferably, the bearing 84 is urged outwardly by means of springs 85 interpwed between the bearing and angle brackets 38 secured on the front and rear members 3! and 21 of the transverse rectangular frame. As indicated, the transverse members 3| and 21 of the frame are preferably connected by end pieces 31 and intermediate struts 88. y

The front end of the frame It is preferably supported so as to maintain the cutting belt at a desired height by means of a roller 48 rolling over the ground. The roller "may be made in sections, as indicated in FigsLI and 3 so that if desired, the roller shaft may be extended and the sections spaced apartthereon to engage the ground at intervals over substantially the full length of the cutting -b elt. Preferably, the roller 40 is adjustably connected to the frame by means of a pair of bars 4| and 42 pivoted on each end.

of the roller shaft, each bar 42 being angled rearwardly and connected at its upper end to one side frame angle II, and the upper end of the bar 4| being adjustably connected to the frame angle H at one of a series of holes 48 in the bar n as be made "slightlyresillent so thotthey may be sprung sumciently to snapthe notches into' engagement with the metal strip 44, and the notchesin the forward posts 41-are preferably at As shown, 'theforward cutting edge of each of 50 the blades 45 and 48 is beveled downwardly indicated at so. The blades is project forwardly 1 of the belt 28 a lesser amount than the blades 1548 project rearwardly, because the blades 45 take the bulk of the cutting action as the machine is moved forwardly into the path of the grass, and the blades 48 merely follow up or even up the grass previously cut by the blades 45.

Q A suitable guard may be provided to cover the blades 45 and 48 if desired and a deflector may be mounted on the front of the transverse frame 21, 8| to guide the grass into the path of the cutter blades, if desired.

Accordingly, the novel and improved machine compared with the width of the path cut by a conventional mower. Moreover, the blades are individually replaceable when they become dull.

Du to the fact that the blades cut horizontally at right angles to the vertical plane of the cutting belt, the cut grass does not pile up in front of the machine as it moves forwardly. Instead the lower run of the belt and its cutters moves under the cut grass, regardless of how long or wet and heavy the grass is.

The serrated cutting edges of the blades and 48 cause grinding and pulverizing of the grass as the belt travels therethrough at high speed, with the result that the pulverized grass is scattered over, the ground and acts as a beneficial mulch,

4|. By raising the connection of bar 4| with the is s eliminating e ed for rakin or removal frame member II, the roller 48 will be raised, thus lowering the position of the cutting belt 28 with respect to the ground'level.

. Referring particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the cutting belt 28 may be of V typeas shown, and is preferably made of rubber composition or rubberized material. Preferably, the belt is reinforced by thin continuous metal strip 44 which may be vulcanized to the outer surface of the belt and extend continuously around the full periphery of the same. Obviously, such a continuous metal strip ma be applied, to the inner periphery of the belt without departing from the scope of the invention.

of the cut grass.

The improved machine is simple and inexpensive to construct, and lightweight and efllcient in operation.

50 In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, cleamess and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the embodiment of the improved construction illustrated and described herein is by way of example, and the scope of the present The cutting blades are ed t i t v l so invention is not limited to the exact details of along the belt 28 and the blades consist preferably of flat triangular blades 45 and 48 disposed at right angles to the plane of the belt as a whole and spaced outwardly thereof. The blades 45 project forwardly of the plane of the belt and alternate with th blades 48 which project'rearwardly of the belt. Each of the blades 45 and 48 may be supported on andin parallel relation to the outer circumference of a run of the belt by means of a pair of posts or bars which are received in vertical holes formed in the central portion of the belt 28, andthe posts may be de-' tachably anchored in the belt by means of notches 48 in the posts which enga e the edges of holes -48 in the metal reinforcing strip 44. The posts 7 ment in a vertical plane transversely of the frame construction.

Having now described the invention, the con-1 struction, the operation and use of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and I claim:

1. In a grass cutting machine including a frame, wheel's supporting the frame for moving it over the ground, a motor supported on said frame,

an endless belt Journaled on the frame for moveas the frame is moved forwardly, and means operatively connecting the belt to said motor, a blade mounted on supporting members spaced radially outwardly from the belt perpendicular to a plane running through the upper and lower runs of the belt for cutting below the lower run of the belt, said blade having a cutting edge extending laterally beyond the edge of the belt.

2. In a grass cutting machine including a frame, wheels supporting the frame for moving it over the ground, a motor supported on said frame, an endless belt journaled on the frame for movement in a vertical plane transversely of the frame as the frame is moved forwardly, and means opera-, tively connecting the belt to said motor, a series of blades removably mounted on supporting members at intervals along and spaced radially outwardly from the belt for cutting below the lower run of the belt, each blade being perpendicular to a plane running through the upper and lower runs of the belt and having a serrated cutting edge extending laterally beyond the edge thereof.

3. In a grass cutting machine including a frame, wheels supporting the frame for moving it over the ground, a motor supported on said frame, an endless belt joumaled on the frame for movement in a vertical plane transversely of the frame as the frame is moved forwardly, and means operatively connecting the belt to said motor, a blade mounted on supporting members spaced radially outwardly from the belt and having a cutting edge for cutting below the lower run of the belt, said blade being perpendicular to a plane running through the upper and lower runs of the belt, and means for adjusting the height of the blades above the ground.

4. A grass cutting machine including a frame, wheels supporting the frame for moving it over the ground, a motor supported on said frame, an

endless belt journaled on the frame for movement in a vertical plane transversely of the frame as the frame is moved forwardly, means operatively connecting the belt to said motor, yielding means for maintaining tension on the belt, and a blade mounted on supporting members spaced radially outwardly from the belt for cutting below the lower run of the belt, said blade being perpendicular to a plane running through the upper and lower runs of the belt and having the leading edge rearwardly inclined relative to the direction of movement of the belt.

5 A grass cutting machine including a frame,

wheels supporting the frame for moving it over the ground, a motor supported on said frame, transversely spaced vertical pulleys journaled on the frame, and an endless belt trained around said pulleys, means operatively connecting the motor to one of said pulleys forv driving the belt, means yieldingly urging the other pulley transversely to impose tension on the belt, and a series of blades mounted at intervals along the belt on supporting members spaced radially outwardly thereof, each blade being perpendicular to a plane running through the upper and lower runs of the belt and having a serrated cutting edge rearwardly angled to the belt.

BASIL P. STRONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 274,239 Whitcomb Mar. 20, 1883 591,606 Martin Oct. 12, 1897 1,364,251 Cook Jan. 4, 1921 1,760,939 Emerson June 8, 1930 

